Heat
by AnglophileConfessions
Summary: Scott and Malia run into each other at the lookout point. They begin spending more time together and find a comfort with one another that they didn't know was possible.


Malia sat at the lookout point with her knees pulled up to her chest, watching the sun rise. Rather she was looking out of her blue or brown eyes, sunrise always looked the same: stunning, warm, normal. Learning to be a human was becoming easier, but sometimes when she was troubled or anxious she would feel the itch to transform and disappear amongst the trees and rocks.

She had no idea how long she sat there in the dark waiting for the sky to be awash in color. Just before the sun lifted from the horizon, she heard a noise behind her and quickly turned, on guard. It was Scott.

"Hey!" Malia said, shocked. "Jesus! You almost gave me a heart attack. What're you doing here?"

Scott looked startled at her being there, but recovered and responded, saying, "Uh…I come here when I'm stressed sometimes. It's a habit. I used to come here with Allison." Scott responded with a sad smile. "Sorry, if I scared you."

Malia looked at the ground, unsure of what to say. She patted the ground next to her and said, "You didn't scare me. You just caught me off guard. So, why're you stressed out?" She was always so blunt and got straight to the point. If he wanted to tell her, he would, if he didn't, he wouldn't. There was no harm in asking.

"Um…Kira and I broke up last night. Her parents want to move away from Beacon Hills and…yeah." Scott sighed and settled down on the ground next to Malia, looking out at the tiny lights belonging to the town of Beacon Hills.

"Ah…I see. Well, who can blame them? You guys have a lot of shit going on here." Malia said, bumping Scott with her shoulder. "Is that all that happened or…?"

Scott laughed, but didn't answer her question for a few moments. When he did, Malia was surprised at his answer. "Kira and I realized that it just wasn't working out the way we'd hoped. She's amazing! And sweet and great and everything…It's just that, well, we had never really been on a date before, and when things died down and we took the time, we found that other being supernatural creatures, we don't actually have that much in common." He turned to look at her, saying, "And…I don't know if I am in the right mindset to be in a serious relationship. Allison was the only person I've ever loved. And she died a few months ago and I still don't know how to deal with it. Kira deserves someone who is completely devoted to her and on her level. I'm just not that guy right now…" Scott shrugged looking away at the sky.

Malia continued to look at him, seeing only the silhouette of his face. He looked so picturesque, with the darkness behind him and the glowing warmth of morning reaching out to touch his tanned skin. She found herself breathing deeply, inhaling Scott's emotions, and found that they resembled her own. "Yeah, I understand that. Kind of what happened with Stiles and I. Stiles is an incredible human being, but…he really likes Lydia. And I'm really happy that he's happy. I'm still trying to adjust to life as a human, and we didn't have much of a relationship outside of sex. He deserves someone that he fully connects with. For him, that's Lydia."

"And what about you?" Scott inquired, looking at her intently.

"Me? Huh…I don't know. I don't really have anyone. I'm okay with that though. Stiles is still my friend, and Lydia is very kind to me. And, I've got Derek, at least. I guess one sane family member is better than none at all." Malia laughed, trying to seem casual, but her heart ached and she knew the sound of it was giving her away.

Scott smiled slightly, and looked as though he were on the verge of saying something. Instead he nodded and then looked out at the sky. It was finally painted with vibrant, piercing colors. The clouds looked like dissipating smoke, thinning and clearing; the promise of a beautiful day.

"Is that why you're here? Because of your family?" Scott asked. He said it gently and cautiously as if he were afraid of upsetting her.

Malia hesitated to respond. She still wasn't keen on sharing her emotions. It felt uncomfortable, unnatural. But, Scott was so kind and endearing and she knew he wouldn't make her feel childish for coming here. Malia finally responded, "I come up here because it soothes me. Sometimes…everything out there is completely overwhelming. Everything I know, everything the wild taught me is completely useless in high school…and yeah, I miss my family. The way it was before I killed them." Her voice hitched at the end of her sentence and she settled into silence, not trusting herself to say more. She didn't want to cry in front of Scott. Malia didn't want to cry at all.

"Malia, you didn't kill them. Okay? What happened was an accident. You can't keep blaming yourself. We are what we are. You were only a child. It's hard enough to control the shift now, let alone when you're a kid who doesn't even know what's happening." Scott reached out and touched Malia's arm, lightly. Her skin burned where he touched her. It felt good to be touched by someone so tenderly. "It's my fault you're dealing with all this other shit. I thought I was helping you when I forced you to shift. I didn't realize what I was putting you through. I'm sorr-"

Before Scott could finish, Malia cut him short. "Don't be. It's fine. I'm happy that you forced me to shift. I'm not an animal. I'm a were-coyote. I can't just force the human part of me away and hide from my guilt forever. Plus, you've been really helpful with teaching me how to control the shift and everything. I…thanks. Thank you." She was surprised when she realized that she genuinely _was_ happy to be human, even if it was hard. It was worth it, to have friends and companionship. The woods could be incredibly lonely.

Scott and Malia sat at the look out point together until all the clouds had faded and the sky was turning to a true light blue. Malia rose first. "I'd better head home. Derek's probably lit the loft on fire trying to make breakfast by now. He's trying so hard to be a family now that I've moved in there. It's cute. I like it. I like having surly teddy bear of a cousin. It makes being Peter's daughter feel a little less horrible. And I think Derek secretly enjoys the company." She laughed, but her heart stung. She'd had a real family once. Or so she had thought. Scott seemed to sense the tension in her laugh. He stood up next to her and reached out, pulling her into a hug. At first, Malia froze, surprised by the sudden contact. But, then she relaxed into Scott's arms, allowing him to comfort her. He let go, quicker than Malia would have liked. Scott was so damn sweet. She understood why Stiles loved him as though he were his brother.

"Well, I guess since you're heading back to the loft, I'll head back to check on my mom. She's worse than Derek when it comes to cooking…seriously…" Scott said, giving her one last grin.

"We should do this more often." Malia blurted out. "I mean, I still need to learn a few things. Now that stuff has died down, you could teach me. If you want." In truth, she really just enjoyed sitting there with Scott, talking to him, listening to the steady sound of his breathing, smelling the musky scent of his skin. He felt familiar in an odd way, much like the forest. He was like her. He donned a hide by night too…Peter had forever altered both of their lives.

Scott's smile turned from a grin into a wide smile. "Yeah, I would love to teach you a few more things. I owe it to you, really. How about Saturday?"

And so it went. For over a month, Scott and Malia would meet at the lookout a few times a week and Scott would teach her how to control the shift, how to anchor herself. He taught her how to be her own anchor. He told her about Allison, painfully and haltingly at first, then slowly, over time, with more ease. Sometimes one of them would bring breakfast. Sometimes they would run together and spar. Malia had not felt this happy and free in so long. Being with Scott was entirely different than being with Stiles. Where Stiles was soft and gentle and human, Scott was rough, he was fast; he was wild.

The more time Malia spent with Scott, the more she liked him. She had always respected and valued him as an alpha, but she was beginning to see him in a different light. She began to notice things about him. The way his mouth curved crookedly when he smiled, the depth of his deep, brown eyes when the sun shone into them. She felt mesmerized by the crimson color they turned when he shifted and she followed suit, sprinting after him into the trees.

Something about Scott was comfortable. He was honest, loyal, and strong. He made Malia feel as though she could take on the world. He made her feel brave. He made _her_ feel strong.

One crisp autumn evening, Scott called Malia. She answered her phone, already smiling, glad to hear Scott's voice.

"What're you doing tonight? Stiles and Lydia are out on a date. I was wondering if you'd want to come over and have dinner and watch some movies or something."

Malia agreed to come over and hung up the phone. She threw on her clothes and slipped her lace up boots on. Her stomach turned. Why had the thought of going to Scott's house alone make her feel so nervous and excited?

And hen it hit her.

Those were butterflies in her stomach.

She had a crush on Scott Mccall. When did that happen? Something about finally admitting it to herself left her feeling oddly calm and focused. She wanted to tell Scott how much she liked him. No. She wanted to _show _him. So, that night, after they ate pizza, Malia said "Want to go for a run?"

"A run?" Scott smiled at her in disbelief. "We ran this morning!"

"What? Afraid you can't catch me?" She said tauntingly, grinning as he gave her a determined look. "I'm learning really fast. Stiles and Lydia have been saying that I could beat the "true alpha" one day. Think that day's here?"

"I know I could catch you." Scott said, smirking. "You're fast, but I'm faster.

"Prove it!"

Before Scott could respond, Malia had ran out the back door, into the woods. She laughed with abandon as she heard Scott yell, "You cheated!" But, she continued to run, the wind blowing her hair into tangles, her skin stinging from the chilly air. She ran until her muscles ached with satisfaction and her heart was beating so fast that she was sure Scott would find her by the sound of it. She looked around, smiling, thinking that she'd lost him, when, out of nowhere, Scott leapt out at her, knocking her to the ground, laughing. To others they would have looked like two pups at play.

Malia laughed then rolled Scott over onto his back, straddling him. Scott blushed, trying not to smile, but failing. "I like you, Malia. I like you a lot." Scott said quietly. They stayed like that for just a few short seconds, just looking at each other, until Malia finally stooped to press her lips against his. Her heart was racing now. She knew he could hear it, knew he could smell what she felt. She kissed him gently at first, until he began to kiss her back. He sighed beneath her, and she could feel his excitement. Malia's stomach felt as though it were doing backflips as Scott's hands moved from the ground to her thighs. Slowly, he moved them up until they rested upon her hips. Malia's whole body felt as though it were on fire. For the first time in months, she truly felt _warm_. With Stiles she had always felt…innocent. He had been her first boyfriend. He had been her first love. But, with Scott…it was something completely different. She couldn't put words to the feelings. All she knew was that she felt as though she and Scott were two puzzle pieces that had finally slid into place, pieced together, right where they belonged. He slipped his fingers beneath the hem of her sweater, feeling the smooth skin beneath. Malia began to kiss her way down his neck, nipping his skin, leaving her marks on him. He would be hers now, and she would be his. Why had she never considered this before?

"I like you too, Scott Mccall." Malia finally said, with a smile, as they parted. "I like you a lot." Then she bent again to press her lips to his.

They walked home, Malia on Scott's back, arms hooked around his neck. When they reached Scott's house, Malia took his hand and led him to his room, shutting the door behind her. Then she pulled off her boots and socks, peeled away her sweat-damp shirt and pants, until she stood facing Scott free of human constraints. Scott didn't look down to gaze at her body. He looked straight into her eyes as he asked "Are you sure?" She had never been surer of anything. She felt an intense desire burning within her. Maybe even the beginnings of love…

For now, all she wanted was to feel Scott's warm skin pressed against hers, she wanted to feel him fill her up. Scott smiled, glowing with affection and stepped towards her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He then picked her up and laid her on his bed. He let his clothes fall like leaves to the floor beside Malia's and climbed onto the bed with her. He kissed her neck, moving downward, peppering her skin with the heat of his lips. Then he made his way back upwards, kissing her softly, pushing her hair away from her face. He didn't ask for permission to show her love, he just gave it to her, could smell and feel what she wanted without either of them saying a word.

They went slowly. She ached and sighed. She had never felt more whole than she did in that moment. Scott's stuttering breaths reached her ears and it was over. But, she still felt as though she had gained a piece of herself back. As though she had, in choosing this path for herself, found the missing piece she had lost long ago in the tangle of trees…

They laid in bed afterwards and Scott curled his body around Malia's. She felt warm and safe and strong. She wanted to remain by Scott's side forever. As though he read her mind, Scott held her tighter and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. They fell asleep like that, wrapped in each other, feeling more comfort and happiness than either had felt in a long time.


End file.
